IK and State of Madina
Askari Raza Malik
Imran Khan has won. He has established his government at the Center, in Khyber
Pakhtunkhwa and in the Punjab.
What prompted the writing of this piece was, Ahsan Iqbal’s statement on
governance. Heperceives the inexperience as a major disadvantage of the new
setup to govern. He fears that IK and party might even end up spoiling the good
workof PML(N).
It is to remind him and otherwise ones of the PML(N) that Pakistan is going
through a very difficult period of its history. It is no time for playing
pranks. To set the record straight, no future government should ever try and
follow the ways of PML(N) or for that matter Zardari’s PPP example in
governance. This period should be forgotten and never ever mentioned again as
the worst nightmare of our short history. If the notion of Divine Justice still
holds good, both these names have a short future in Pakistan, unless Bilawal
wakes up to face the harsh ground realities and the hoax of his party’s
ideology.
In today’s world governance is more a matter of attitude than aptitude.With
correct attitude, sincerity of purpose, integrity and dedication, a genuine man
hasthe entire wherewithal available to him in the market offering
multi-dimensional options to resolve any and every issue of governance. One
genuine man on top is, thus, worth more than many a hypocritical genius.
Experience is an important part of knowledge.But, if not used judicially it can
backfire. It happened with Zardari’s government. When Raja Pervez Ashraf tried
to use the method of BB to resolve the energy crisis through private power
producers, he failed. Because, the media by then had turned too vibrant to allow
a repeat fleecing of the nation by arbitrarily inflicting exorbitant purchase
rates on it. Going by the experience alone, Russian governance should have been
exemplary by all standards. On the contrary it is not. On the other hand, what
previous experience could Omer the Great and his companions boast of in managing
a sprawling new régime and turning it into a superpower of the time? The pious
Caliphs at that time had only the example of the Prophet (PBUH) before them,
which they followed in letter and spirit.IK is referring to the State of Madina
at the time of the Prophet (PBUH) as his role model. Jinnah idealized the same.
In nutshell it embodies,‘God consciousness, sincerity and dedication’. If IK
sincerely follows it, he should be able to carve a name for himself in history
like Jinnah and Liaqat Ali Khan.
Power means responsibility. Power to rule over the people is the heaviest
responsibility. The second and the fourth pious caliphs had conveyed it in no
uncertain terms that a caliph (a ruler) cannot live a life better than the
poorest in the country. That, the Governor House of a poor province, KPK, of a
poor country, covers as much area as that of the White House in Washington is a
cruel joke the people of Pakistan can ill afford.
The sovereignty belongs to Allah and His people. A ruler must bow his head in
gratitude for having been bestowed upon the honour to do God’s work in God’s
land. Humility, patience and tolerance must become visible in his attitude and
conduct. He must ensure across-the-board justice. His simplicity must match the
humbleness of the lowliest in the land, his compellingintegrity becoming
contagious and his sincerity irresistible.He might not attain the rank of the
highest, the pious successors to the holy Prophet (PBUH), he can still become
one of the magnificent few, Omar bin Abdul Aziz, Ataturk and Jinnah.
The bottom line of Governance at all levels is God Consciousness. It defines
acts that please God and negates the opposite. Once Jinnah was asked about the
motivation for his tirelessness. His sole desire was to be able to earn, “Well
done Ali” when he met his God. This simple motivation gives a Pakistani ruler
the most vital purpose in life, the best of both the worlds, “well done” when he
meets God. All then starts falling in place. Respect, honour, dignity, real
power and wisdom, the intangibles which cannot be purchased, the indicators of
God’s Grace for His chosen men.
Is it too much to expect such lofty goals from a poor mortal of 21st century?
No. There is good cause for optimism. Asilver lining is there on the horizon.
Unproven except for the cricket world cup, two cancer hospitals and a short
tenure in a poor province, KPK, IK offers the potential. I was home in March. I
could not imagine that the confidence of the ordinary folk in KPK would
translate into such a mammoth election victory for the Captain. His first press
conference after the 2018 elections and his address to the nation after taking
oath of his office reinforcedthat confidence. His loving mention of his ideal,
the Madina Welfare State established by the Prophet (PBUH) is overwhelming. Is
he another Jinnah bent on achieving the pleasure of the Prophet (PBUH) and God?
From his public rhetoric during his political campaigning to the first press
conference he was a completely changed man. The cricket captain cheering the
youth seemed to have suddenly transformed into a sober, thinking statesman, a
person acutely conscious of the enormity of task ahead, the tricky path out of
the thick woods; the external pressures, the internal manipulations of the
pundits of status quo.
We are in dire need of a speedy, affordable and free system of justice, an
independent judiciary, a free police force, investigation agencies, prosecution
and National Accountability Bureau. The bureaucracy has tremendous potential. It
needs to be trusted, made independent, responsible and accountable. Let merit
prevail in every field. All governmental departments must remain free of
political interference, one of the major malaises suffered by the administration
in the past.
Nothing is impossible. The people have voted for the change. It is the
government’s responsibilityto bring about a meaningful and visible change in
their lives.
(Askari Raza Malik has served Pakistan Army as Major General. He is author of a
book “Pakistan, in Search of a Messiah”)